The House is once again scheduled to take up a controversial farm bill Wednesday night, lawmakers say.
The chamber is set to begin an hour of debate on H.R. 7567 and then hold votes at around 9 p.m. on amendments to the bill, according to the office of Democratic Whip Katherine Clark.
A measure aimed at expanding U.S. ethanol sales had been set for stand-alone consideration alongside the farm bill, though that vote appears to be on hold for now, according to earlier remarks from House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.
Lawmakers including Rep. Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, and Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb., are pushing for an E15 vote as soon as possible. Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga., said while he's backing the bill, it's unclear if it will have enough support to pass amid a slew of issues, including objections to provisions in the bill that would impact small oil refiners and an estimate from the Congressional Budget Office that the measure would add billions of dollars to the federal deficit over the next decade.
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"Some people don’t like it. Some people represent refineries in their hometowns. Some people don’t like the price tag," he told Agri-Pulse. "Different members have different issues, but I’m going to vote for it and we’ll see where it lands.”
Adding to the frenzied day on Capitol Hill for congressional ag leaders was Johnson's earlier statement that the farm bill needed "a little more time" before proceeding to a vote.
"The farm bill is back on the menu tonight. This place is insane," Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., said in a social media post.
Massie is among lawmakers pushing for approval of a farm bill amendment to strip a pesticide labeling ban from the farm bill. He urged backers of the measure to "keep up the pressure."
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